Members Sweb Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 While at GC today I met a fellow who played guitar with his left arm amputated at the elbow. He plays a right-handed guitar like a left-handed guitar. He fashioned a cuff that slips over his stump and up the upper arm. He made a device to hold a flatpick - like a clamp - and it is sewn onto the cuff. He does okay and has his fun playing. Gads, did that humble me. Anyway, he asked me if I knew of a double cutaway acoustic that he might get? He can't use a left-handed guitar because he learned to play a right-hand guitar bass-ackwards and the cut is in the wrong place for him. So, he wants a double cutaway. Anyone know a maker that makes such a guitar? On another subject, I saw an old Gibson Harp-Guitar in GC's Don't-Touch display cabinet. Supposedly there are only 70 remaining in the world. There was no price on the thing but the salesman said GC was asking $5300.00 for it. All things considered, I thought that to be pretty cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasmineTea Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Wechter Pathmaker has a double cut. I hear they're decent gits too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Doolin Guitars Double-cut, but asymmetrical. I'd guess he'd want a double-cut that was similar to a Gibson SG, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sweb Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Yea, he was looking for symmetrical now that you mention it. Also said he was looking at around the $1200.00 range. I'll look that up JT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cldplytkmn Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 remember that supposed john mayer acoustic on flea-bay? it was a righty guitar with a lefty cut... pretty strange... i'd be half tempted to bet that if one called larrivee or martin or the other 'big boys' they'd whip something up for not more than the price of the normal lefty model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sweb Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Cldplytkmn remember that supposed john mayer acoustic on flea-bay? it was a righty guitar with a lefty cut... pretty strange... i'd be half tempted to bet that if one called larrivee or martin or the other 'big boys' they'd whip something up for not more than the price of the normal lefty model. You're probably right. This guy had spirit but he did have a dilemma too. He showed me how most cutaways have the controls in a position that conflicts with his leg and become most uncomfortable. The Taylor Expression system was the only one he said sat on his leg okay but he wasn't much into Taylors. He really wanted a Martin. I watched him chording and jeez that looked tough. Add to that picking with that make-shift pick holder positioned on the stump of his left arm and, well, he was really at a disadvantage but sure had spirit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eor Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 you could try and find out what this is love, eor (the one on the right) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by eor you could try and find out what this is love, eor (the one on the right) That looks like the Ferrington logo. Here's the logo on his book-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Guild made a double cutaway jumbo for a short while, but they're pretty rare. I'd suggest considering having a left-handed cutaway guitar converted to "righty"...bridge slot filled in, and new saddle slot cut, and a new "righty" nut made...that would likely be the least expensive way to get what he wants, plus the controls needn't be on his leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bilbo Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 I remember seeing a demo on how to take the upper bout, cut it out, and reverse it to make a cutaway. I don't know what a luthier would charge to do it, but it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdegrande Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Wechter Pathmakers are terrific doublecut acoustics, and they make them in all different price ranges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sweb Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by bdegrande Wechter Pathmakers are terrific doublecut acoustics, and they make them in all different price ranges. I looked them up. I thought the pricing to be very acceptable and there is quite a selection. I emailed him the link and gave him Clip's suggestion to contact a maker with his situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Whalebot Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Wechter is based out of Michigan, they make most of them overseas though. I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sweb Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Terry Allan Hall Guild made a double cutaway jumbo for a short while, but they're pretty rare.I'd suggest considering having a left-handed cutaway guitar converted to "righty"...bridge slot filled in, and new saddle slot cut, and a new "righty" nut made...that would likely be the least expensive way to get what he wants, plus the controls needn't be on his leg. I suggested this to him while in the store but he was concerned about intonation problems (possible) and the look of the filled slot. He wasn't a charity case by any stretch and knew exactly what he wanted. Guitars just aren't made to accomodate his situation so he's looking for the doublecut without electronics, if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bert Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Wechter is definitely the route to take. His less expensive instruments are made in China but they go through his inspection before sending out to the dealer. They are 17 frets clear of the body and come in colors. Later on down the road if you want Abe will make you one himself but that will cost. They make an excellent blues guitar as you can de-tune em, throw on a capo for concert tuning and bend the dickens out of the strings with plenty of open fingerboard to work with.......good hunting....bd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Personally I think he would be way better off just buying a lefty cutaway and having a luthier: 1. Replace the nut with the heavy string slots reversed.2. Fill and reslot the bridge for opposite compensation or replace the bridge with one withe opposite compensation. Both aren't very difficult to do and would open him up to many different guitars. There's a reason double cutaways don't happen on acoustics often. It's a lot of expensive luthery and not much advantage sonically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by guitarcapo Personally I think he would be way better off just buying a lefty cutaway and having a luthier: 1. Replace the nut with the heavy string slots reversed. 2. Fill and reslot the bridge for opposite compensation or replace the bridge with one withe opposite compensation. Both aren't very difficult to do and would open him up to many different guitars. There's a reason double cutaways don't happen on acoustics often. It's a lot of expensive luthery and not much advantage sonically. Same thing I suggested... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Custom job? I have no clue whether or not this is feasible/within the price range, but maybe worth a shot... Jeff Sigurdson? http://www.sigurdsonguitars.com/ He's a former Larrivee builder and cofounder of the Legend Guitar Co. May be worth a shot contacting him and laying out what's being sought and what the pricing constraints are. Once in a while, one of his gits - new - will pop up on eBay for well under a grand. I asked him about this once, whether they were somehow seconds or blems, etc. He said they're just gits he builds in his spare time, between orders - nothing wrong with them. So it appears his prices, as custom builders go, are still relatively quite low. A double cutaway could be an expensive custom proposition. But then, with a custom job you'd only need the single cutaway (lefty cutaway) with the saddle/nut orientation reversed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sweb Posted November 20, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 20, 2006 Originally posted by knockwood Custom job? I have no clue whether or not this is feasible/within the price range, but maybe worth a shot... Jeff Sigurdson? http://www.sigurdsonguitars.com/ I've heard of this guy through another luthier-turned repair tech-distributor I was acquainted with where I used to live. He said he was going to become a distributor of Jeff's guitars. I forgot about it until you posted this. I'll have to call him and see what's up. Yea, it's a shot and I'll send the link to the guy I met. You never know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarist21 Posted November 20, 2006 Members Share Posted November 20, 2006 Originally posted by Whalebot Wechter is based out of Michigan, they make most of them overseas though. I think... Doesn't Musician's Friend sell them? Maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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